If you’ve received a cancer diagnosis, it’s common for chemotherapy to among your first choices of treatment. While chemo is proven to help by attacking the quickly-multiplying cancerous cells in your body, it does present its own issues. Some side effects are short term (like hair loss), but many effects are felt for longer durations.
These side effects can decrease a person’s quality of life in the post-cancer years. Long term side effects can often prolong the cancer recovery process.
What are the long term side effects of chemotherapy? Continue reading to learn some of the most common.
Early Menopause
Chemotherapy can lead to early menopause in women. Early menopause means a reduction in the number of childbearing years and can cause a range of unpleasant side effects. Other hormonal symptoms (like changes in the menstruation cycle) can also occur.
Sexual Dysfunction
After receiving chemo, sexual dysfunction can occur in both men and women. This includes a lack of libido or desire to have sex in both genders. It can also include erectile dysfunction in men and persistent sexual dryness in women.
Weakening of the Heart Muscle
Chemotherapy can weaken the heart muscle, making a person more prone to heart-related diseases moving forward. This includes a greater predisposition to heart attacks and heart failure. Chemo is significantly more likely to weaken the heart if someone already has a preexisting condition.
Loss of Bone Density
Chemotherapy has been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density. This side effect is more prevalent in women but does also occur in men.
The problem with this side effect is that it doesn’t always show up immediately. It can gradually set in over the years following chemo. In some people, the effects aren’t apparent for a year or more following treatment.
Severe Watery Eyes
One of the long term side effects of chemotherapy is severe watery eyes. This includes unexplained tears running down the face for long periods. It can be difficult to stop the eyes from watering, which significantly reduces an ability to see while this effect is occurring.
Digestive Disorders
Chemotherapy can have many lasting side effects on your digestive tract. The most common side effects are loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. A slowed digestive track and lessened ability to absorb the nutrients in food can also occur.
Ongoing digestive disorders can make healing from cancer more difficult. The body needs fuel to recover and regain strength. When it’s challenging to eat, the recovery process is significantly prolonged.
Do You Have More Questions About the Long Term Side Effects of Chemotherapy?
While chemotherapy has been shown useful in treating cancer, it can come with many long-term side effects. Those listed above are among the most common.
Do you have more questions about the long term side effects of chemotherapy?
Feel free to browse our other health blog posts. You’ll find posts on this and related topics to help you learn more on the subject.
